Mount Gambier Fishing Report

Craig & Coatsy's Fishing Report 9 May 2019

The Port MacDonnell Offshore Angling Club’s 38th Annual Tuna and Sportsfish Competition got off to a rough start last Saturday but the following couple of days were absolutely perfect. Good numbers of tuna have been found from the 40 metres of water right out to the 1000 metre line and beyond. Up until Wednesday, the biggest fish was boated by Ronnie Mallett and went 116kg. An amazing capture on 15kg line that only took 45 minutes to land. Take a bow guys! There have been numerous tuna smaller tuna caught to 22kg. Jamie is having a week off to fish the competition and from all accounts is having an absolute ball. After a slow start of Saturday, something about celebrating Collingwood’s win Friday night till the wee small hours he managed to get out in the afternoon. He landed his first hapuka on Sunday that pulled the scales down to a credible 13kg. As the cold front moved in on Tuesday afternoon, many boats moved in close and fished the kelp beds off Danger Point and Orwells for several school sharks to 20 plus kilo. Unfortunately the wind and swell has picked up so only the larger boats will be able to head out wide, but the keen ones will no doubt keep fishing in close.
Extreme Marine Charters and Port MacDonnell Fishing Charters both fishing out off Port MacDonnell this week have both landed their fair share of tuna to 116kg over the last few days. What a great week to catch a fish of lifetime and be looked after to the max in a safe and comfortable environment. We are very fortunate in the southeast, correct me if I am wrong, to have 5 world class charter boats operating out off Port MacDonnell. So there is no excuse for anyone who has dreamt of catching a giant Bluefin tuna not to have a go!
Salmon catches have been patchy this week, but those putting in the effort are still managing good numbers. The Beachport Salmon Hole has been quiet right up to just before dark. This is the norm when the seas are flat. The average fish has been around the kilo mark. Still good fun on light gear and if bled properly and put on ice, they are a great feed.
Manfred Tulak found a very willing school of fish in the corner of Red Rock Bay Monday arvo. Most fish were just under a kilo and every cast was either a bump or a fish. We are looking at a near perfect forecast for chasing salmon this weekend. Big swell and moderate northerlies by Sunday arvo. Let’s hope the weatherman gets it right.
Garfish catches have been amazing again this week. Cape Douglas right through to Livingstons, as usual has been the most consistent, but I’ve also heard of some lovely fish caught off the Port MacDonnell jetty.
The Glenelg River mulloway have really fired up over the last few days. Monday evening saw several good fish caught off the Donovans Landing, one ripper fish measured 105cm. That’s well over 20lb on the old scale. They seem to be spread right along the river at the moment. The Caves through to Hutchessons has also produced fish up to 92cm that I have heard of and without a doubt we only hear of a fraction of what is actually caught. Flat Rock and Popes Nose has also fished well for the trollers. If you choose to anchor up in lower reaches, it’s not a bad idea to position your boat to the side of the channel and not right in the middle. There are no rules that say you can’t anchor in the middle of the channel but it will save a lot of tangles with boat traffic.